South Sudan clashes kill 23 ahead of December elections
Clashes between South Sudanese government forces and opposition fighters in the Ruweng area have resulted in at least 23 deaths and over 100,000 people displaced. The violence raises concerns about national stability ahead of the country's long-delayed elections.
Why it matters
The escalation of conflict in South Sudan threatens regional stability and exacerbates a severe humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest nations.
South Sudan's government forces and fighters loyal to detained former vice president Riek Machar have engaged in sustained combat in the country's northern Ruweng administrative area since early October, leaving at least 23 people dead and 17 wounded, local information minister Tony Chol Ayat told AFP on Sunday. Ayat said fighters from Machar's Sudan People's Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) entered Ruweng from neighbouring Unity state, triggering clashes between October 4 and Thursday.A resident in Ruweng told AFP that opposition fighters initiated the hostilities and that "the government built up forces on the front lines and the rebel armies were repelled."
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